The head of federal railroads will be in Raleigh today to announce more money for a new train terminal. Passengers who board trains in Raleigh arrive to a cramped terminal with few parking spaces. City and state planners hope a new depot -- called Union Station -- will better serve travelers. Federal rail administrator Joseph Szabo is expected to announce more federal dollars for the project.
"This should put us in a position to be able to break ground by next year. And then it's very likely that we're probably talking about a realistically three-to-four-year time frame for construction given the complexity of the railroad improvements that are involved," said Raleigh transportation planning manager Eric Lamm . He says that would speed up improvements.
Track and roads leading to Union Station must also be improved. Federal transportation officials presented the city with a 21-million-dollar grant earlier this year. Planners estimate a 60-million-dollar cost for the project.